Comprendere la cura della salute attraverso le Medical Humanities: scenari attuali e prospettive future.

[Autom. eng. transl.] The Medical Humanities (MH) represent a complex of disciplines, relating to the human sciences, social sciences and arts, aimed at rethinking the training of healthcare professionals and clinical practice according to an interdisciplinary perspective of knowledge. The study of HD promotes the development of the ability to observe not only the disease, but also the patient and, more broadly, the person, capturing his psychological, social and cultural characteristics, so as to encourage the establishment of a profitable relationship and a effective therapeutic alliance. After more than half a century of debate, while on the one hand there has been a decline in skepticism towards HDs in many countries, there is still debate about their place in university curricula for degree courses in the health sector. This special issue of "Sociological Studies" collects contributions on the topic of Medical Humanities, promotes dialogue on the present and future of HD at an international and national level, supports the development of policies and practices to integrate them into the training paths of health professionals and stimulates a MH educational program based on the reduction of disciplinary, structural and territorial critical issues that have emerged, on evaluation methods and innovative empirical research.